The invention relates, generally, to medical instruments and, more particularly, to a combined surgical retractor/compressor.
Retractors are used during surgery to retract tissue, spread ribs and perform similar functions. Compressors are used to compress and hold tissue, bone and the like. Both retractors and compressors typically include a pair of elongated arms pivotally connected intermediate their ends for relative motion. The arms are typically symmetrical and include either a retractor or compressor head fixed to the ends thereof designed to perform a specific surgical procedure.
While such devices are widely used, the symmetry of the arms limits their use and the fact that the heads are fixed to the arms necessitates the use of separate instruments for different surgical procedures. Moreover, retractors cannot be used for compression and compressors cannot be used for retraction. Thus, an improved surgical tool that can be used in a variety of surgical applications is desired.